Just a few years ago, many of you would remember that Uncle Nearest became the fastest rising premium whiskey brand in the country, and for all the good reasons, actually. But now you’re hearing about this Uncle Nearest Lawsuit and wondering like, what went so wrong in just a matter of a few years? Well, spoiler alert: it has a lot to do with how the financial side of things was managed by the company, and now they’re in trouble. So, let’s just get to the details of this case and see where this Uncle Nearest Lawsuit stands now.
What Exactly Is Uncle Nearest?
Oh, see, back in 2017, Uncle Nearest came into the world of whiskey with a bang. The brand bears the name of Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first historically confirmed African American master distiller in the U.S., and the guy who really taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Certainly, that’s Jack Daniel.
The brand was developed rapidly by Fawn and Keith Weaver, who were the founders. After a short time, the brand was receiving a lot of recognition, having been listed in top magazines, and it reached a $1 billion valuation by the end of 2024. As a result, it was the whiskey brand, the black community, that sold the most, with the greatest sales history of all time. Moreover, Fawn Weaver’s name was included in the list of the wealthiest self-made women in the United States by Forbes.
So everything looked good. Until July 2025!
What Triggered the Uncle Nearest Lawsuit?
Actually, Farm Credit Mid-America, which is the lender that gave Uncle Nearest more than $100 million, decided to sue on July 28, 2025. Their allegation? Uncle Nearest had not maintained the loan as stipulated. Furthermore, the late payments were not the only issue; according to them, the enterprise had been failing to meet the loan in the full amount since the beginning of 2024.
The story just kept unfolding. The lender went on to say that the firm had counted the whiskey casks that they had stored in the warehouse more than they should have. These casks had been used as security for the loan, and the supposed lack of value was approximately $21 million.
They further asserted that Uncle Nearest dismantled the barrels that had been sealed for safekeeping in order to pay off debts. In addition, they alleged that a portion of the loan went to purchasing a $2.2 million house in Martha’s Vineyard, which was then encumbered with a different mortgage. The complaint encompassed all of that.
What Was Uncle Nearest’s Response?
Uncle Nearest didn’t wait long to respond. On August 3, 2025, the company filed a countersuit.
Their point of view? They maintained that the problem had been exaggerated and that Farm Credit Mid-America had been completely in the picture. They claimed that they had been vigorously engaged in the backstage work to solve the existing problems.
What Did the Court Do?
Events escalated dramatically. Just a day later, Fawn and Keith Weaver showed up at the courthouse. Keith verified that the enterprise had gone into default on the loan, but to be clear, they were not insolvent, only a cash flow crisis of a short duration. Moreover, he indicated that the idea of filing for bankruptcy had been contemplated as a final resort.
Judge Charles Atchley Jr. was not very happy. He went on to say that the Weavers “seemed to be beyond their depth,” which means that the company had escalated more than they could handle in their management.
On August 11, the judge went a step further and implemented a gag order. It was a reaction to the public campaign of Fawn Weaver on various social media platforms, comprising the promotion of the “#ClearTheShelves” movement that aimed to encourage supporters to purchase the entire stock of Uncle Nearest whiskies available in stores. To restrict public communication about the matter, the court had to intervene.
